With a heart full of confusion, Yun Wan followed the guiding eunuch through winding paths until she arrived at the familiar Huichang Gate she had passed through earlier.
The palace gates stood imposing, with vermilion walls and dark tiles. The narrow, stone-paved corridor was empty save for a single ebony carriage waiting silently.
Upon boarding the carriage, she unexpectedly met three pairs of curious eyes.
Yun Wan apologized, "I'm sorry for keeping you waiting so long."
Her words were mainly directed at Lu Yuanduo and his son. They could have left earlier but had wasted over an hour waiting for her.
Lu Yuanduo shook his head. "It's no trouble."
After a moment of contemplation, he carefully asked, "What did His Majesty... want with you?"
His brows carried a trace of puzzlement.
Seated beside Sui, Yun Wan reached out to ruffle his hair before replying, "His Majesty heard of my skill in perfumery and had me identify a certain fragrance. He then tasked me with recreating it."
Lu Yuanduo was surprised. "Perfume-making?"
Yun Wan gave a quiet affirmation but offered no further explanation.
As a trusted confidant of the emperor, Lu Yuanduo had heard rumors that in recent years, His Majesty had been searching for something related to fragrances.
As for what exactly, he didn’t know—it was taboo to pry into the emperor’s affairs.
Noticing the worry in her eyes, Lu Yuanduo paused before saying, "Do your best. If it proves impossible, I’ll find an opportunity to explain it to His Majesty."
Lost in her thoughts, Yun Wan responded half-heartedly, "Thank you, Lord Duke."
......
After a day filled with too many events, Yun Wan returned to Cuiwei Manor utterly exhausted.
Sui, however, was fine. A child of boundless energy, he became lively again upon returning to the comfort of home.
As soon as he entered the room, he poured a cup of tea and handed it to her. "Mother, have some tea."
Yue Jian, standing nearby, covered her mouth and laughed. "Madam, our young master has become even more filial after attending school."
A sip of warm tea eased some of her weariness. Yun Wan patted Sui’s head and instructed Yue Jian, "Go fetch Sui’s study box. He won’t be attending for the next few days."
Yue Jian nodded and left.
At the mention of his study box, Sui visibly deflated.
Seeing this, Yun Wan beckoned him over. "Sui, come here."
Kicking off his shoes, Sui climbed onto the daybed and knelt before her. "Mother."
No matter how prestigious the Hongwen Institute was, it couldn’t compare to home. After ten days there, Sui looked noticeably thinner.
Pinching his cheeks, no longer as plump as before, Yun Wan asked gently, "Why do you look so down? Were you frightened by what happened in the palace this afternoon?"
With so many people present, and Sui so young, he had never witnessed such a scene. She assumed he was still shaken.
To her surprise, Sui shook his head and pouted. "Mother, I’m not a good student anymore. Will Scholar Xu still accept me?"
The thought of being seen as an unruly, lazy student saddened him, and he feared Yun Wan would be disappointed.
His little face drooped with unease.
Her heart ached with a sharp pang. Yun Wan cupped his face and asked softly, "Why would you say that? How are you not a good student?"
"I’ve barely attended for ten days, and now I’m punished with house confinement. It’s terrible... And what about my studies?"
Sui scratched his cheek, puffing up in frustration.
Realizing his concern, Yun Wan couldn’t help but laugh.
Sui grew even more upset, his face scrunching like a bun. "Mother, why are you laughing? Aren’t you angry?"
Ruffling his doughy cheeks, Yun Wan chuckled. "Why should I be angry?"
"The fault wasn’t yours. You were just caught up in the mess. Besides, you behaved so well in the hall today—you should have been rewarded."
But under the circumstances, with both the Crown Prince and the Third Prince punished, singling Sui out for praise would only invite resentment.
Yun Wan was content with the outcome.
To steer him away from overthinking, she changed the subject. "And I already asked His Majesty to exempt you from copying texts. He agreed, which means you did nothing wrong."
Seeing how lenient she was, Sui sighed. "It just doesn’t feel right."
Unable to suppress a smile, Yun Wan feigned distress. "What can we do? It’s already happened, and worrying won’t change it."
"Besides, you were supposed to come home tomorrow anyway. With the Cold Food Festival break coming up, let’s just consider this an early holiday."
Sui frowned. "Alright then..."
Yun Wan hugged him, her voice tender. "No matter what others think, you’ll always be the best child in my heart, understand?"
"Regret and frustration are useless emotions—they only torment you. What’s done is done. We’ll just review your lessons at home."
She knew his turmoil. Accustomed to praise, this was the first time Sui had faced punishment, and it weighed on him.
Sui’s eyes brightened instantly. "I understand, Mother."
A child’s emotions shifted quickly. After their talk, Sui’s mood lifted.
Then, as if remembering something, his expression turned sheepish.
"Mother, I have a secret to tell you." Sui grinned shyly, his voice dropping to a whisper.
Curious, Yun Wan leaned in—and heard:
"I was the one who kicked the Crown Prince in the face."
Yun Wan gaped. "Sui, you—"
Sui tugged at his sleeve and huffed. "He smashed my favorite bowl during the fight!"
When he saw the shattered pieces, his temper flared.
In the heat of the brawl, he stuck out a leg and gave a mighty kick—landing squarely on the Crown Prince’s left cheek.
Luckily, the chaos ensured no one noticed, nor would they suspect the youngest boy present.
After the initial shock, Yun Wan grew serious. "This stays between us. Never tell another soul, understand?"
It was a relief the Crown Prince blamed the Third Prince for the kick.
Secretly, Yun Wan was pleased. Her little Sui had a spine—better to fight back than suffer in silence.
Sui nodded.
......
For the next several days, Sui spent his time recuperating, studying, and reflecting for half an hour daily.
Yun Wan, meanwhile, buried herself in the perfume chamber, striving to complete Emperor Jingxuan’s task. Yet progress was slow.
Even worse, her latest attempts fell short of her initial draft, leaving her disheartened.
Then came the Cold Food Festival.
On this day, Sui and Lu Changze’s confinement officially ended.
As a member of the Lu family, Sui joined Lu Yuanduo and the clan at dawn to honor their ancestors, while the women gathered at the manor.
Such occasions were always awkward for Yun Wan. As a widow, others avoided her—never voicing their superstitions but keeping their distance as if she carried bad luck.
Over time, Yun Wan grew weary of appearing in public, finding solace in her solitude.
Noticing that she had spent the entire morning in the incense chamber with little progress, Yuezhi thoughtfully suggested, "My lady, the weather is splendid today. Why don't we take a stroll outside?"
Understanding the futility of working in isolation, Yun Wan set down her incense tools.
"Very well, let’s visit the perfumery."
